Our journey began on Saturday, April 13th with a 6 and a half hour plane ride from Boston to Frankfurt, Germany. By the time we had landed, it was 5:30 in the morning, causing jetlag to hit us in full effect. From there we boarded a connecting flight and traveled to our first stop, Berlin.

Once we landed in Berlin, we hit the ground running, boarding the tour bus and traveling throughout the city for the rest of the day. We saw various art museums, historical landmarks, looming cathedrals, and delicious food vendors. As we were wandering the city during free time, we stumbled across a flea market filled with various works of art, trinkets, and food. After our time to explore, we walked to dinner and were treated to a traditional German meal.

The next morning we ventured to the infamous Berlin Wall and took another bus tour of the city. We were able to see many historical sites both from the land and the water, after taking a river tour that afternoon. During free time, we walked to the the Topography of Terror and shopped till we nearly dropped. That night, we met up with the rest of the group at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and discussed the many hidden meaning behind the artist´s work. From there we continued onto dinner and experienced yet another traditional German dinner.

Sadly our time in Berlin had run out, and we began our journey to Prague with a few stops along the way. As we made our way to the Czech Republic, we stopped in the beautiful city of Dresden, which had been completely rebuilt in its original architecture after being destroyed during WWII. The city was filled with awe inspiring art, precious cafes, and a huge palace. While in Dresden, we stopped for lunch, and then continued our journey to Prague. When we finally arrived in the city, we watched the sunset over the river, and ate dinner at a local restaurant.

It was Holy Week, so all of Prague was bustling with anticipation for Easter, and the city was filled with different festivals and food vendors. As we walked around, we ate the famous chimney churros which can be found throughout the Czech Republic. After we had our time to wander through the city, we met back with our group and went on a tour of the underground town of Prague. It was amazing to see how people used to live all of those years ago! Once the tour was over, we took in the view of the city from the top of the Old Town Hall Clocktower. After having our time in the city, we made our way to dinner in the old Jewish quarters, and took a short walking tour led by our guide.

The next morning we departed for Munich, and on our way, stopped at a sweet little Bavarian town for a lovely lunch and managed to find the only Dunkin Donuts in Europe! When we finally arrived in Munich, we enjoyed a traditional Bavarian dinner severed by people in lederhosen and dirndl. Afterwards we went back to the hotel, which used to be a silk mill, reminding us of our own Paper City. In the morning, we left for BMW World and got to sit in some of the cars. Afterwards, we went on a guided bus tour and visited the Schlosspark Nymphenburg. Then we were allowed free time in the city square, where we wondered around, eating food and taking pictures. We even took part in a centuries old tradition of Munich, by bringing a statue of Juliet a flower and rubbing her breast, you would find your soulmate. After we failed to find love, we met back with the group and went on a short walking tour of some of the main monuments and building of Munich.

At the crack of dawn, we departed Munich and headed to Neuschwanstein Castle, which was Walt Disney’s inspiration for the castle from Beauty and the Beast. In actuality, only three of the castle’s rooms were completed before the king’s death, but the people of Bavaria decided that they would leave the castle as it was in order to respect the king’s wishes. After trekking up the side of a mountain to the castle, we were able to admire the view of the Swiss Alps and lake. Once we had admired the views, we got back onto the bus, and departed for lunch in Liechtenstein. After lunch, we left for our final destination of the trip, Lucerne. As we drove through the weaving roads up the Swiss Alps, we were able to admire the breathtaking view of Lake Lucerne.

The next morning, we ventured into the city and had the whole day to explore by ourselves. We watched swans in the lake, visited chocolate shops, and ate as many pretzels as we possibly could. That night when we went back to the hotel, we sat outside and enjoyed our lovely view on last time.

Sadly the next morning, we had to depart Europe and make our way back home, bringing with us the memories which we will treasure forever.